2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Klapak
A Polish surname derived from the Polish word "klapak" meaning "flat foot" or "clubfoot".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Klapak. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klapak surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Klapak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klapak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klapak
The surname KLAPAK has its origins in the Slavic regions of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.
One of the earliest theories regarding the etymology of KLAPAK suggests that it may have derived from an old Slavic word 'klapati', which means 'to clap' or 'to beat'. This could indicate that the name was originally associated with a profession or occupation related to rhythmic clapping or beating, such as a drummer or a miller.
Another possibility is that KLAPAK may have originated as a nickname or descriptive surname, referring to someone who was known for their clapping or beating habits or mannerisms. In Slavic cultures, nicknames based on physical characteristics or behaviors were commonly adopted as surnames during the Middle Ages.
Some historical records indicate that variants of the name KLAPAK, such as Klapacz or Klapaczyk, were present in Polish and Ukrainian villages and towns as early as the 16th century. These variants likely emerged due to regional dialects and spelling variations.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname KLAPAK was Jan Klapak, a Polish farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Grodków in the late 16th century. Records from the time mention him as a prominent figure in the local community.
In the 18th century, a Ukrainian musician named Petro Klapak gained recognition for his skill in playing the bandura, a traditional Ukrainian stringed instrument. He is believed to have been born in the village of Zybkiv around 1720 and performed extensively throughout the region.
Another notable figure was Franciszek Klapak, a Polish writer and philosopher who lived in the early 19th century. Born in Kraków in 1785, he authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the late 19th century, a Ukrainian painter named Oleksandr Klapak gained recognition for his landscapes and portraits. He was born in the village of Kholmets in 1857 and studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.
In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname KLAPAK was Mykola Klapak, a Ukrainian military officer who served in the Soviet Army during World War II. Born in 1908, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his bravery and leadership in the Battle of Stalingrad.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klapak
Among Census respondents with the surname Klapak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Klapak bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Klapak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 111
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klapak
Klapak appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-8 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,193 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 16,193 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 129 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Klapak surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #144,141 | #144,270 | -0.1% |
| Count | 115 | 117 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klapak bearers went from 115 to 117 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #144,270.
FAQ
Klapak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klapak?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Klapak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Klapak?
Klapak ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Klapak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Klapak.
Has Klapak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klapak went from 115 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Klapak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klapak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Klapak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klapak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Klapak (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Klapak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Polish word "klapak" meaning "flat foot" or "clubfoot". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Klapak (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Klapak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.